Non-Stop

Weary Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is a battered, boozing U.S. Air Marshal assigned to work a British Aqualantic 767 from New York City to London. Walking through the airport, Marks profiles potential troublemakers before settling into a business class seat, next to flirtatious Jen Summers (Julianne Moore). Shortly after takeoff, Marks' cell-phone alerts him with threatening texts—obviously from someone onboard—demanding that $150 million be deposited into a foreign bank or someone will die every 20 minutes. Initially, Marks suspects this is a joke concocted by a fellow Air Marshal…until the body count begins. Trusting only Jen and the flight attendants (Michelle Dockery, Lupita Nyong'o), Marks searches for suspects among the passengers, who include a Middle Eastern doctor, a surly bald man, a hotheaded NYPD cop, a computer whiz, and a bespectacled schoolteacher. Complications arise when the offshore account turns out to be in Marks' name and rebellious passengers grow alarmingly suspicious of their alleged protector. Skillfully directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, Neeson brings the necessary gravitas to make this dandy whodunit compelling, while working from a suspenseful script. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “Suspense at 40,000 Feet” behind-the-scenes featurette. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a “Non-Stop Action” featurette with director Jaume Collet-Serra, and bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a solid thriller.] (S. Granger)